Empoli turn to Iachini in battle for survival

MILAN (Reuters) - Struggling Serie A club Empoli named Giuseppe Iachini as their new coach on Tuesday, a day after dismissing Aurelio Andreazzoli.

Iachini has led four different clubs out of Serie B and into the top flight, although his first task with Empoli will be to avoid relegation. The Tuscan side have lost seven of their 11 Serie A games this season and are 18th in the 20-team table with six points.

Iachini is well known on the Italian coaching circuit, having won promotion to Serie A with Chievo in 2008, Brescia in 2010, Sampdoria in 2012 and Palermo in 2014. He has also coached Venezia, Cesena, Vicenza, Piacenza, Siena, Udinese and Sassuolo.

Empoli are the third Serie A club to change coaches this season. Genoa fired Davide Ballardini and replaced him with Ivan Juric in October while Chievo dismissed Lorenzo D’Anna and hired Gian Piero Ventura.